Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

38 Fourth Sunday of Advent
harsh ending on e /# e, Alleluia in the repetition entered gently and tenderly
with e e f d.
It is much simpler, of course, to say that Alleluia belongs to the
third mode and the verse to the first.
These theoretical considerations should not cause us to overlook
the delicately sensitive melody of the verse, so full of fervent Advent
petitions and confiding trust. One cannot but join in with all one's
heart.
Using seconds only, the beginning of Veni seems almost timorous;
et has the first interval of a third. The treatment of the motives c d e f
then f g abb, and finally / a b c is obvious enough. As the motives develop,
the expression must likewise grow and expand. Then the melody rises a
fourth and soars above the previous melodic line over tarddre: "O Lord,
for a long time now Thy people await Thee; leave us no longer in our
darkness and impotence! Lord, do not delay!" It cannot be mere chance
that only in this passage and only in this Alleluia-verse the melody exhibits
such tenderness. On the twentieth Sunday after Pentecost and in
the verse Adducentur from the Mass Loquebar for a Virgin Martyr, which
employs the same melody, this expansion is not found. It seems quite
certain, nevertheless, that the verse Pardtum cor meum for the twentieth
Sunday after Pentecost must be regarded as the original composition.
There also the second pardtum with its increase is marvelously
effective. The excessively florid melisma found here over facinora is
there placed over gloria: "I will sing, and will give praise to Thee, my
glory." The singer, so the indication seems to be, cannot find sufficient
outlet for his feelings. Whoever wants to resort to note-counting here
has a real task. Nevertheless, two groups are quite easily distinguished.
The one repeats the same motive thrice, but each time with a slightly
different introduction; the other extends its motive, especially toward
the end. Since the word gloria frequently means "harp" in the psalms,
one might also translate here: "I will play to Thee upon my manystringed
harp." Even if we did not know of the Alleluia for the twentieth
Sunday after Pentecost, and that God is there lauded as our glory and
our pride, the melody in itself would here not speak to us of the burden
of sin, for it sounds more like the thanksgiving song of one from whose
soul a great weight has been lifted.
We hear this melody likewise on the feast of St. John Damascene.
Revue, 6, 33 ff., Rev. gr., 3, 122 ff.; Wagner, III, 402.
OFFERTORY (Luke 1: 28)
1. Ave Maria, 2. gratia plena, 1. Hail, Mary, 2. full of grace,
3. Dominus tecum: 4. benedicta tu 3. the Lord is with thee: 4. blessed